View of Surat, Its Fort And City, 1754 Plan
A 1754 plan with a view of Suratta or Surat, its fort and city. This is a Dutch engraved map of Surat. After colonizing Calicut, Cochin, Quilon, Goa, etc, the Portuguese took Surat under its control from 1540 to 1612. The British first landed in the Indian subcontinent at Surat in 1608 and opened a trading post.
They had aggressively followed the Portuguese after seeing its huge successes in trade and commerce with India and other far eastern countries. The British defeated the Portuguese and the Dutch to get a foothold on Surat. However, they had to obtain permission from the Mughal ruler to open a trading post, since Surat came under the Mughal rule at the time.
Not wasting time, the British further explored the coasts of eastern and western India. They would open settlements in Bombay, Madras, and Calcutta. These locations were just mere villages and small habitations when they first set foot there. The British would later relocate their western headquarters from Surat to Bombay, with its natural harbour that was potentially safe from raiding enemies.
Read more- When and Why British first landed on Indian Territory.
Did you know- Surat is the center diamond cutting and polishing. It accounts for a major portion of the world’s diamond cutting and polishing.
From the collection- Page From Rare 1713 Latin Book on Calicut., German Prince Wilhelm Special Train India Tour – Old Photo., Cotton Bales At Bombay Terminus – Old Print 1862., Vintage Cars Mumbai Mahabaleshwar Car Rally – Old Print 1906
